First, I highly recommend you check out the HD version of this that is hosted on Vimeo. It looks so much better than the YouTube version. When the Godzilla shows up around :45 into the video, I lose my mind every time. And if you like it, make sure you check out this and this and this, too. If you’d like to quit your job and spend all day long checking out tilt-shift videos, go here.

I’m hopeful. I really am. I didn’t vote for the guy. But then again, I wasn’t all that excited about the guy that I did vote for.

And yet, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful that this guy gets it right. I’m hopeful that this guy is as smart as I think he is. I’m hopeful that he’s gathering the right people around him. And I’m hopeful that when things get really bad…he listens to those people. I’m hopeful that he makes the right decisions. I’m hopeful that he’ll govern much more moderately than he campaigned. I’m hopeful that he knows in his heart that government isn’t the answer for everything. I’m hopeful that he truly understands that there are times when diplomacy is not enough. And when those times come, I’m prayerful that he ‘ll only send our troops into harm’s way when it’s truly needed. I’m hopeful that the people who are so excited today realize he won’t and can’t fix everything. I’m hopeful that when the party dies down…they don’t turn on him when things are still really bad six months from now. I’m hopeful that our country becomes a stronger nation in the next four years. I’m hopeful that maybe he’ll do such a good job…….that I will vote for him in four years.

Bokeh (derived from Japanese boke ぼけ, a noun form of bokeru ぼける, “become blurred or fuzzy”) is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field.[1] Different lens bokeh produces different aesthetic qualities in out-of-focus backgrounds, which are often used to reduce distractions and emphasize the primary subject.

All of these pictures were taken in the last few days no more than an hour’s drive from my home. The mountains are on fire with color. And even in my neighborhood, we’re seeing plunging shades of red alongside brilliant hues of gold. It’s literally God showing off for you.

So with all this in mind, I can’t understand why more of you don’t take advantage of the empty guest room we have. Please come and enjoy it along with us. It’s well worth the drive. And it happens every year. Come see us in North Carolina.